The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-02
A GOLDEN DEED.
Agnes Thomson, m the churchman.

the other day a sketch of certain famous philosophers life. Something of his life am going to tell you now, because when this wise man was a little boy, no bigger than my little reader, perhaps, he once did very brave and noble deed.
 The name of this young hero was Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, and he was born in ''sunny Italy" in l463.
 His ancestors, the counts of ConcOr- dia, had long been powerful princes in their country, but these early times were war-like times, you know, and for many years there had been deadly feud between the house of Mirandola and the house of Bonacossi.
 At the time this story opens a fierce quarrel was still going on between the two families, and Giovanni's father, Count Francis, had always to be on the watch to repel the attacks of his crafty neighbors.
 Count Francis had three sons in all. The two eldest were, like himself, fond of arms and war, but the young est, Giovanni-or Pico, as you will generally hear him called nowadays- peaceable by nature, disliked the tire some pleasure, and passed his time in studying by his mothers side.
 This was a grievous trial to poor Count Francis. He declared the boy would be disgrace to their family name; but his wife thought differ ently, and at last won reluctant con- sent from him that the child should devote as much time to study as he might choose.
 After this he could never have wasted moment, think, for he was only ten when he had become ac- quainted with all the ancient litera- ture then talked about among the learned people, and he was also able to compose some poems himself that were quite the wonder of Italy. But there came one day a sad Interruption to these studies of Giovanni's-a series of terrible battles took place between the Mirandolas and the Bonacossis and the latter conquered! They would have killed the whole race of their enemies had not the government of Modcna interfered. The lives of the Mirandolas were saved. but all their vast wealth was taken tlom them, they were banished from the state of Modena, and forbidden to enter their borders again on pain of death.
 Fortunately, they had not to go very far. A brother of Giovanni's mother was prior of a convent near Bolonga, and it was to him that the wanderers turned their weary steps. Fra Rinaldo welcomed them gladly, giving them shelter in a little villa which belonged to his convent; and so the eXiles were soon established in a home that they could call their own again. though the count and his elder sons, accustomed as they had been to rule, fretted sadly at the humble exis- tence now forced upon them.
 In the old convent library they studied together, then. Latin and Greek and Hebrew and Arabian, and great many things besides. But you must not suppose that Giovanni be- came too absorbed in his work to care for his fathers trials and sorrows. In- deed, his little heart was very full of these, for he loved the old warrior, who seemed not unlike caged lion in this tiny villa, and whose one thought now was to win back by the power of his arm that home so cruelty taken from him.
 One evening he made bold resolu- tion. It had been announced that a certain profound scholar, famous throughout Europe for his knowledge, would hold some arguments upon theology with the students of the uni- versity at Modena, and Giovanni de- termined to present himself as one of these students.
 He told no one of his resolution ex- cept his uncle. The good prior at first would not consent to the plan, for, though he knew his pupils capa- bilities, he could not forget the danger he would run of losing his life by entering even the gates of the pros cribed city, Modeia. But Giovanni was 90 much in earnest in the matter that at last the good man yielded, and promised to help him.
 h few da.s' time, then. under the simple name of Giovanni, his nephew was recommended by letter to the famous doctor of theology, who was we'll known to Fra Rinaldo. As soon as he arrived in Motiena, Giovanni, &C., companied by the faithful lay brother, with whom he had journeyed from Bologna, presented himself at the great mans door.
 Dr. Lulle read the letter, which dis posed him to think kindly of its bearer, but when he looked up only to see boy of thirteen standing before